Moving On

There has been a long silence on the blog, over a week of saying nothing I wasn't able to talk about something that was happening, hence the reason for my silence but at last I can speak again. Robbie made the difficult decision that after almost fifteen years it was time to leave the company that he works for and set his sights on pastures new. It has been a very big decision and it has occupied our thoughts for months, but it was very important to do things properly and I couldn't mention it on the blog until everything was agreed with his employer and his departure had been announced. He is still technically with the company for a few weeks longer, but he is now using up leave, his last working day was last Friday.

In the weeks leading up to his departure there were several important jobs to be done including emptying his cupboard and his desk. It sounds simple enough doesn't it, but this is Robbie that we are talking about! It took a huge amount of effort but thanks to the effort of two wonderful 'helpers' his cupboard was emptied - it is just as well that my Ford Galaxy has the rear seats removed because the contents of his cupboard filled the car. I thought that was the end of it but more bags and boxes followed as he emptied his desk - even a tardis couldn't hold that much 'stuff' so we now have a a lifetime of timetables that were taking up house room. It seems that he has several copies of every leaflet ever published by a train company, he also has the largest mug collection known to man and other sundry 'junk' that will fill at least 20 archive boxes!! By junk I mean old tickets, reservation slips and assorted stuff that 'normal' people would throw away. I have tried to be understanding but it is difficult, I feel as if I am drowning in clutter. I am ashamed to admit that you can't actually see our garage any more, the utility room has become a store room and all things railway related have invaded the bedroom!! Just occasionally I crave a a bit of 'normality'. When I told Robbie how I felt he told me that in 100 years time it will be an important historical archive. I wasn't as reassured by that as he expected, after all in 100 years (or even 50 years) I will not be around.

Is It Raining Men?

Friday went past in a blur of activity, dealing with all those last minute jobs that have to be done before going on holiday. The day began with me chasing Robbie upstairs, he had been promising to go up to the loft to fetch some of my talking books for weeks and he had finally run out of excuses. Once he was safely in the loft I moved his ladder, to make sure he didn't escape until I was satisfied that all the jobs in the loft. There was a lot of thumping and clattering, it sounded as if he would fall through the ceiling at any minute, but just for once my worst fears were not realised. He emerged triumphantly bearing a box full of talking books that for the last few weeks he had insisted were not there, and he insisted that he had to have a shower before he did anything else. Unfortunately I had just run the bath for the dog and since Robbie was already dirty and semi naked (as usual) he was the ideal person to bath he dog! She wasn't overjoyed about the experience, but she behaved very well until I was safely out of range, then she shook herself vigorously and covered Robbie and the bathroom with water. Finally a rather damp and dejected, but clean dog and a clean and adequately dressed husband emerged to face the world and we were ready to go out and tackle the long list of errands that needed our attention.

We had already bought a whole trolley full of 'essentials' for the pets at the pet superstore, and we were heading to the garage to check the tyre pressure before braving the supermarket. Robbie had been getting increasingly annoyed with himself and he was ready to fall out with his own shadow. I knew what the problem was, he was in pain and struggling to walk, but there was nothing I could do to help. He sat in the car and used some of the more obscure and descriptive words in his vocabulary to tell his right leg exactly how he felt about it. Of course the leg took no notice, and Robbie grew increasingly angry with himself. In the end I had to get cross with him and remind him that many people with spina bifida would think he was lucky to be mobile and have fairly normal function. It sounds hard hearted, but I love him, I can't change the way things are, but I can do my best to keep him motivated and help him to keep a sense of perspective. He has to go back to the doctor to get his pain relief sorted out, but as usual I will have to drag him there!

We got everything done in the end, but by the time went to bed we were shattered and we had to make an early start on Saturday morning.

Further Frustration! 17.10.07

AOL seems to be suffering from disappearing posts, the post I left yesterday and the message left on a previous post mysteriously vanished. My post yesterday was about my frustration with my car. As most readers will know by now my Ford Galaxy is the curse of my life. It is only four years old but in that time I have practically rebuilt it, in fact I have almost spent the equivalent of the purchase price on repairs to the car. This time it was at the garage because of a horrible vibrating noise when making sharp turns (especially when reversing on to the drive). Having already spent a fortune replacing everything related to the power steering, I was disappointed that the problem still persisted. On close investigation the garage found a problem with the only original bit of the drive shaft, as well as several other problems. After a week at the garage the drive shaft was done and the car should have been ready to collect on Monday, but a rusted bolt got stuck half in and half out and it had gone smooth so that the allen key could not grasp it. It was in such an awkward position and so badly designed that everyone was stumped; after sleeping on the problem the mechanic felt a drastic, destructive and dangerous solution seemed the only way forward and by the end of Tuesday the car was finally ready. I was full of hope and felt sure that after this much time and expense (it cost £700 this time) the car would be perfect. I drove home, reversed on to the drive and there was the same horrible noise, every bit as bad as before. I feel totally defeated by it.

An Expensive Mistake 08.06.07

The parking sensors on the Galaxy seem to be playing up. The rear sensor keeps doing a peculiar little screech for no apparent reason. I can't face another trip to the garage at the moment - and neither can my bank account! I don't find the parking sensors very useful anyway because I am so tone deaf that I cannot distinguish between the front and rear sensors.

A man that I used to work with had a very interesting problem with his car a few years ago, his clutch peddle was sticking badly causing him difficulty changing gear and making driving very difficult. He booked the car into the garage and they swiftly resolved the problem for him. His car mat has slipped and was obstructing the peddle, they just had to reposition the mat!